Portable plumbing and electrical unit for multiple installation of washing machines



Sept. 6, 1960 D. c. CARVER 2,951,498

PORTABLE PLUMBING AND ELECTRICAL UNIT FOR MULTIPLE INSTALLATION OF WASHING MACHINES Filed Jan. 14, 1958 INVENTOR David C. Carver ATTORNEY United States Patent PORTABLE PLUMBING AND ELECTRICAL UNIT FOR MULTIPLE INSTALLATION OF WASHING MACHINES David C. Carver, Hurst, Tex., assignor to Multa Products,

Inc., Fort Worth, Tex., a corporation of Texas Filed Jan. 14, 1958, Ser. No. 708,930

1 Claim. (Cl. 137-343) This invention relates to a portable plumbing and electrical unit for multiple installation of washing machines, and it concerns more particularly a compact, prefabricated unit supplying multiple hot and cold water connections, drain connections and electrical connections for use in connection with a battery of automatic washing machines.

An object of the invention is to provide, as an article of manufacture, a single unit comprising all of the plumbing and electrical connections required to operate a comparatively large number of automatic washing machines, as ordinarily employed in laundries, washing machine rental services, and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plumbing and electrical unit of the type described which is capable of being fabricated on an assembly line basis, at low cost, and is of simple, rugged construction, eflicient in operation, and durable in use.

The invention will be readily understood by referring to the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a plumbing and electrical unit embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevational view taken on the lines 2-2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawing, the apparatus of the invention includes an elongated frame, which is formed in part bp an open trough-like drain receptacle 1, substantially rectangular in transverse section, which extends horizontally along the bottom thereof. A pair of end supports 2 and a middle support 3 each comprise a pair of upstanding members 4, which are attached to opposite sides of the drain receptacle 1. The upstanding members 4 are connected adjacent their lower ends and intermediate their ends by transverse members 5 and 6, respectively. The transverse members 5 are positioned below the drain receptacle 1, and the transverse members 6 are spaced above it.

A shelf 7, which extends horizontally along the top of the frame, is supported upon a pair of elongated members 8, which are arranged longitudinally below the shelf 7 and spaced inwardly from opposite sides thereof. The elongated members 8 are connected, respectively, to the upper ends of a plurality of upstanding members 9, each of which is connected at its lower end to one of the upstanding members 4 and comprises an upward extension thereof.

The drain receptacle 1 advantageously may be inclined slightly from end to end, and has a conduit 10 connected to one end thereof. The opposite end of the conduit 10 may discharge to a convenient sewer. A length of plain pipe (not shown),haviug individual connections com- Patented Sept. 6, 1960 .prising nipples or risers for engagement by the water outlet lines of a plurality of washing machines, may be substituted for the drain receptacle 1 if desired.

A hot Water supply pipe 11 and a cold water supply pipe 12 are arranged longitudinally of the frame, above the drain receptacle 1 and in parallel relation to each other. The hot water supply pipe 11 and the cold water supply pipe 12 are supported upon the transverse members 6. A water heater 13 is connected to the hot water supply pipe 11.

As shown in Figure 2, two rows of washing machines, shown in dotted lines, may be arranged back to back with the plumbing and electrical unit of the invention between them. Alternatively, a single row of washing machines may be connected to the unit if desired.

The hot water supply pipe 11 and the cold water supply pipe 12 each have a plug 14 in one end thereof. A series of longitudinally spaced valved outlet connections 15 are provided in the hot water supply pipe 11, along one side thereof, each of the valved outlet connections 15 corresponding to a washing machine of one of the rows. Similarly, a series of longitudinally spaced valved outlet connections 16 are provided in the hot water supply pipe 11 along the opposite side thereof, each of the valved outlet connections 16 corresponding to a washing machine of the other of the rows. The cold water supply pipe 12 has two series of longitudinally spaced valved outlet connections, numbered 17 and 18, which correspond to the valved outlet connections 15 and 16 of the hot water supply pipe 11.

Two pairs of electrical conduits 19 are arranged longitudinally of the frame, on opposite sides thereof, and are positioned immediately below the longitudinal edges of the shelf 7. A plurality of electrical outlet connections 20, one of which corresponds to each of the washing machines of the two rows, are operatively connected to the conduits 19. The electrical outlet connections 20 are attached to the elongated members 8. An electrical control panel is enclosed within a receptacle 21 attached to one end of the frame.

The invention may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

A pre-fabricated portable unit providing plumbing and electrical connections for a plurality of Washing machines comprising a pre-fabricated portable elongated frame, an

elongated fluid conduit extending longitudinally of, attached to the lower portion of the frame, forming an essential structural support member for the frame, and providing a common drain having an outlet, said conduit being necessary to provide sutficient rigidity to the frame for all practical supporting purposes, hot and cold water supply pipes supported by said frame and having a plurality of sets of valved hot and cold water outlets spaced longitudinally of the frame above said fluid conduit, and electrical conduits supported by said frame and having a plurality of electrical outlet boxes corresponding in number to the sets of valved hot and cold water outlets and spaced longitudinally of the frame above the hot and cold water supply pipes, the spacing of the electrical outlet boxes corresponding to the spacing of the sets of valved hot and cold water outlets.

Lankton Apr. 22, 1947 Shatter Dec. 13, 1949 

